Monday, January 15, 2007

Winter is officially here on the prarie. Last week an ice storm came through, and last night it snowed again, covering us in about 6 inches of snow. We'd been lucky so far this season - right around the 40s for the last couple of weeks - but now the wind and cold are here to stay, it seems.

With the exception of my two new hats, this recent cold makes me blisteringly aware of my lack of handknits (at least, handknits for me: those around me seem to have them in abundance). So I cast on for Knit Picks' Northern Lights Mittens. I'm using the recommended yarn, because honestly, who can argue with reasonably priced mittens? So far I'm getting the hang of holding a strand of yarn in each hand, and I think my tension is turning out alright. I'm looking forward to this project as something a little more portable and maybe if I'm lucky quicker than some of the other things I'm working on. Maybe it's just school and other class-related things, but this week stressed me out, put me behind, and made me think about what happens after school - probably the subject I least want to think about.

Remember the scene from The Bell Jar where Esther talks about her future as a tree full of fruit? She just has to pick which piece of fruit to choose out of all the other possibilities, but the prospect of picking just one terrifies her. I think I might be in the same boat right now. Small deadlines and due dates make me forget that graduation is coming relatively soon and then I'll have even more to do and figure out.Anyway, I'm trying something new with my knitting... What could this possibly be?